SIMFEROPOL, August 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Crimean authorities on Tuesday took the peninsula's gas transportation network into state ownership, unlocking a major revenue source for the budget.

Completing legal procedures, the administration had set up a new company, Krymgazseti, to take over assets formerly managed by privately owned Krymgaz, said the territory's acting head Sergei Aksyonov.

Ukraine's budget had received no revenue from Krymgaz, he said. "It was not possible before because of total corruption among Ukrainian authorities," Aksyonov said, adding that all future transportation proceeds would be channelled into the republic's budget.

"The old practice has been stopped. All state property can only be used by state companies," he said, adding that network inventories would take about two weeks.